Terry Butcher looks to be Celtic party pooper

INVERNESS manager Terry Butcher is no stranger to wrecking Celtic title parties – but insists the hosts’ circumstances will be an irrelevance to Caley today.

Butcher was manager of Motherwell in 2005 when they defeated Celtic 2-1 on “Helicopter Sunday”, handing the title to Rangers, and just as he was on that day at Fir Park, Butcher is focused only on his own team’s needs and ambitions as Celtic seek the point needed to confirm them as champions.

Having masterminded a win at Celtic Park in November, he is looking for a repeat with European aspirations in mind. The Highlanders lie third and can qualify for continental football for the first time.

Butcher said: “They are obviously the best team and the biggest club in the SPL and quite rightly deserve to win the title, but, having said that, we are where we are and doing well ourselves.”

There has been much talk of phantom fans and poor atmosphere at Parkhead, but Butcher stressed: “It was a great atmosphere for us last time there when we won. That’s because there was hardly any atmosphere.

“We don’t want it to be a great atmosphere and Celtic in party mood on Sunday. Silence is golden.”